VW Group sales rise 18.9% in August on continued U.S., China demand

FRANKFURT -- Volkswagen Group's global vehicle sales rose by 18.9 percent in August as growth in China and the United States continued to help offset sliding sales in western Europe.

VW said deliveries for its brands, which now include the newly integrated Porsche sports car marque, increased to 719,500 in August from the year before. This raises the eight-month total by 10.2 percent to 5.91 million.

"We are satisfied with the Group's continued good performance. While developments in America, eastern Europe and Asia remain stable, we are monitoring the continued tense situation, particularly in western Europe, very closely," VW Group sales chief Christian Klingler said in a statement on Friday.

While Volkswagen Group reported growth in most regions, sales in western Europe fell as low consumer confidence caused by the region's debt problems kept customers out of showrooms.

Sales in China, VW's largest single market, rose 17.9 percent to 1.70 million in the first eight months while sales in the United States were up 33.3 percent to 380,000.

In the group's overall European market, sales rose slightly by 1.7 percent to 2.47 million. Growth was particularly strong in central and Eastern Europe, where deliveries rose 25.2 percent to 426,900. In Russia, the single-biggest market in the region, sales rose 53.4 percent to 206,900.

VW does not release monthly sales by market.

Porsche joins VW Group

All the VW Group's brands increased sales in the first eight months, except its Spanish unit Seat.

Audi sales lead growth with a rise of 12.7 percent to 961,000 through August, followed by the core VW brand which increased sales by 11.5 percent to 3.72 million.

Deliveries at Czech unit Skoda rose 8.5 percent to 633,300, while Seat's sales fell 11.0 percent to 210,200 as the brand continued to be hit by poor economic conditions in its key southern European markets.

The Porsche marque, which Volkswagen added to its brand portfolio last month, sold 10,900 in August, VW said.

VW Group intends to challenge General Motors Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. for the position of No. 1 global automaker by unit sales, a goal the automaker aims to achieve by 2018. VW is targeting 10 million auto sales that year.

In 2011, VW Group sold 8.27 million units, behind GM with 9.05 million and ahead of Toyota with 7.95 million.

PRESS RELEASE

Wolfsburg, 14 September 2012 - The Volkswagen Group achieved a 10.2 percent rise in worldwide deliveries for the period from January to August 2012 despite the difficult situation on some markets, and handed over 5.91 (January-August 2011: 5.36)* million vehicles to customers. The Group recorded a delivery record for August: This was the first time that 719,500 (August 2011: 605,300; +18.9 percent)* units were handed over in this month. "We are satisfied with the Group's continued good performance. However, the situation on world markets is still unsettled. While developments in America, Eastern Europe and Asia remain stable, we are monitoring the continued tense situation, particularly in Western Europe, very closely", Group Board Member for Sales Christian Klingler said in Wolfsburg on Friday.

The Group recorded very satisfactory figures in the Asia-Pacific region where 1.98 (1.68; +17.9 percent) million vehicles were handed over to customers in the first eight months, of which 1.74 (1.48; +17.9 percent) million units were delivered in China, the region's largest single market.

Deliveries on the American continent also again developed very well with the number of vehicles handed over in the North America region from January to August increasing by 24.5 percent to 535,200 (429,800), of which 380,000 (285,000; +33.3 percent) units were delivered in the United States. The Volkswagen Group handed over 678,600 (619,600; +9.5 percent) vehicles to customers in the South America region during the same period.

On the overall European market, Group brands delivered a total of 2.47 (2.43; +1.7 percent) million vehicles in the period to August. In Western Europe (excluding Germany), 1.25 (1.33; -5.8 percent) million customers took possession of a new vehicle. Europe's largest automaker grew deliveries in its home market of Germany to 792,300 (761,100; +4.1 percent) units. The company again recorded high growth in Central and Eastern Europe, where 426,800 (340,800; +25.2 percent) vehicles were handed over to customers, of which 206,900 (134,900; +53.4 percent) units were delivered in Russia, the region's largest single market.

Outline of developments at Group brands

The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand delivered 3.72 (3.34; +11.5 percent) million vehicles to customers worldwide from January to August. The brand developed particularly well in the Central and Eastern Europe region, where 177,900 (130,200; +36.6 percent) vehicles were delivered. Volkswagen Passenger Cars handed over 404,000 (320,700; +26.0 percent) vehicles to customers in the North America region, while the figure was 1.46 (1.26; +15.8 percent) million for the Asia-Pacific region.

Audi delivered 961,000 (853,000; +12.7 percent) vehicles worldwide in the first eight months of the year. The premium brand from Ingolstadt performed particularly well in North America, where 107,100 (91,800; +16.8 percent) models were handed over to customers. In the Asia-Pacific region Audi delivered 308,400 (236,500) vehicles during the same period, an increase of 30.4 percent.

The sports car manufacturer Porsche, which became a Volkswagen Group brand on August 1, 2012, delivered a total of 10,900 vehicles in August. Demand for models built by the Stuttgart-based carmaker was particularly strong in the Asia-Pacific region, where 3,800 units were handed over, and in the North America region, where deliveries ran at 3,300 units.

The ŠKODA brand delivered a total of 633,300 (583,600; +8.5 percent) vehicles in the period to August. The Czech automaker performed particularly well in Central and Eastern Europe, where 172,600 (147,000; +17.4 percent) units were handed over, and in the Asia-Pacific region, where 189,900 (170,800; +11.1 percent) vehicles were delivered.

SEAT delivered 210,200 (236,200; -11.0 percent) vehicles worldwide from January to August, mainly due to shrinking markets in Western Europe. The Spanish brand did, however, grow deliveries in Germany to 40,000 (35,200, +13.7 percent) units, in the UK, where 23,300 (22,300; +4.9 percent) vehicles were handed over to customers, and in Mexico, where 13,700 (11,300; +21.8 percent) units were delivered.

*) including deliveries by the Porsche brand from August 1, 2012; excluding MAN and Scania